5

We as Catholics believe in communion of saints after the resurrection. Such communion means that we will be in the complete union with God, and with all the other saints in heaven.

When we are saying that "we will be in complete union with all the other saints in heaven", does this mean that in heaven, I will have deep, intimate, and fulfilling relationship with each other member of heaven to its full extent? or does this only mean that we all will be united as a community of heaven in general, which does not necessarily mean a deep and intimate relationship with each of its members to its full extent?

Thank you,

Improve this question
1

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
5

How could a community be truly united without a "deep and intimate relationship with each of its members to its full extent"?

Pope Pius XII discusses the Communion of the Saints in his 1943 encyclical on the Mystical Body of Christ, Mystici Corporis Christi:

  1. But, corresponding to this love of God and of Christ, there must be love of the neighbor. How can we claim to love the Divine Redeemer, if we hate those whom He has redeemed with His precious blood, so that He might make them members of His Mystical Body? For that reason the beloved disciple warns us: "If any man say: 'I love God' and hates his brother, he is a liar. For he that loveth not his brother whom he seeth, how can he love God whom he seeth not? And this commandment we have from God, that he who loveth God loveth his brother also."[I John, IV, 20-21.] Rather it should be said that the more we become "members one of another"[Rom., XII, 5.] "mutually careful, one for another,"[I Cor., XII, 25.] the closer we shall be united with God and with Christ; as, on the other hand, the more ardent the love that binds us to God and to our divine Head, the closer we shall be united to each other in the bonds of charity.

Related:

75. … Christ has all the members of the Church present before Him and united to Him in a much clearer and more loving manner than that of a mother who clasps her child to her breast, or than that with which a man knows and loves himself.

and

89. … the divine Redeemer is most closely united not only with His Church, which is His Beloved Spouse, but also with each and every one of the faithful, and He ardently desires to speak with them heart to heart, especially after Holy Communion.

Improve this answer
7
  • Hello, thank you for your answer. English is my second language and I am having trouble understanding some of your answers. So to put it short, is "yes" an answer to the question "in heaven, will I have deep, intimate, and fulfilling relationship with each other member of heaven to its full extent?"? Thank you for being patient.
    – Domenico
    Dec 10, 2015 at 11:32
  • @user2792124: What is your first language?
    – Geremia
    Dec 12, 2015 at 1:56
  • @Geremia Hi Geremia, with regards to your answer to this question, is the interpretation of communion of saints as "having deep and intimate relationship with each and every other heavenly being" just your opinion, or has Catholic Church always held this view as being correct?
    – Jin-Dominique
    May 30, 2016 at 23:41
  • @Joseph What I quote from Pope Pius XII's encyclical Mystici Corporis Christi is official Church teaching.
    – Geremia
    May 31, 2016 at 0:15
  • Also, my answer to the "Perfect relationship between Trinity and other relationships in heaven - Catholic" question sheds some light on this "Communion of Saints and Our Relationships in Heaven" question.
    – Geremia
    May 31, 2016 at 0:16

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .